**This week, New Hampshire COVID-19 hospitalizations fell below 100 for the first time since November 2020**
**The Biden administration has increased the weekly vaccine supply going to states by nearly 70%**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, released the following statement after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients in New Hampshire fell below 100.

“The Johnson & Johnson vaccine has the potential to be a game-changer in our COVID-19 response – especially for rural communities and difficult-to-reach areas of the country – because unlike other vaccines, it only requires one dose and can remain stable in the refrigerator for an extended period of time,” said Rep. Kuster. “The authorization of a third safe and effective coronavirus vaccine in the U.S. is a hopeful sign that we will be able to build on the Biden administration’s progress and continue picking up the pace to get more vaccines into the arms of Americans quickly and efficiently. This promising news comes the same week that New Hampshire hospitalizations for COVID-19 dipped below 100 for the first time since November.”

“While I am encouraged by the significant increase in the number of vaccines distributed to states under the Biden administration – an increase of nearly 70% in the past five weeks – and I am hopeful about our progress in getting Americans across the country vaccinated, we are not out of this crisis yet,” Rep. Kuster continued. “Granite State doctors, nurses, and health care workers have gone above and beyond the call of duty and faced serious challenges during the COVID-19 surge of the past three months. The best way we can honor their service is to maintain the precautions that have allowed us to reduce our COVID-19 numbers and keep our communities safe. Social distancing and mask-wearing are our best defenses until the COVID-19 vaccine is widely distributed. There is light at the end of the tunnel and by working together, relying on science, and following the guidance of public health officials we will have brighter days ahead.”

Earlier this week, Kuster questioned vaccine manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, and Pfizer, in an Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on expanding the availability of vaccines. Rep. Kuster has pushed for congressional action to support the production and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. Last month, Kuster introduced bipartisan legislation to bolster and quicken our nationwide vaccine rollout. Her Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act, which was included in the American Rescue Plan Act, would improve and expand real-time communication between state and federal governments, as well as public and private health care providers, to ensure vaccines are being administered effectively and efficiently across all states and territories. Kuster’s Coronavirus Vaccine and Therapeutic Development Act to ensure that the United States will be able to mass-produce and administer COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics quickly and efficiently was also included in the latest COVID-19 relief bill.

###